Hi guys,
it looks I have a small leak in my Bsa tank. Only one, it seems.
What would be the best thing to do (after draining !) ?
Is soldering enough to repair it ?
Or should it be welded ?
(I'm reluctant to use any sealent, because it is impossible to remove - if needed...)

Anyone ever done this sort of repair succesfully ?

Always weld them, any other solution will make it a horrible job later if it needs more work.

Where in the world are you?

Mark

email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com

I would have the tank welded by a specialist tank repairer. The problem with both petrol & oil tanks is that they have to be cleaned out correctly. Even if they have not had oil or petrol in them for years, as soon as they are heated up hydrocarbon gasses come out of the metal & can & will explode with fatal consequences. A petrol or oil tank MUST be cleaned out by steaming, in the past people have come to me and said they have cleaned the tank out by running it under the hot tap for a while or even washed it out with paraffin both these methods are no no's & will lead to injury or death.

Both soldering & brazing are possible if the tank in cleaned out correctly, but if you come to weld it at a later date you will have problems as both the solder & brazing are done at a lower temperature and will have to be removed before the tank can be welded

Drew at Heritage Motor Works (Metal Magic) in Hampshire, repaired a tank for me earlier this year that had previously been brazed. He cut the area out with an angle grinder, tacked a plate in place with TIG and then seam welded it with gas, then air pressure tested it in a tub of water. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Small pinholes can be soft soldered, even when the petrol is still in it, have done that a couple of times, never any problems, see first picture. Very reluctant to use a coating, 9 out of 10 times it goes wrong.

When using white vinegar in it, to get rid of rust, or using electrolysis, after that it should be Ok to grind and weld, never had much of exploding tanks, just don't leave the cap on!

But safety first of coarse! in the worst case cut the bottom out, sandblast, and reweld, here a 16H tank I did after burning out the rotten coating.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@outlook.com

When I was trialling, I usd to crack an alloy tank about once a month. Running argon in whilst MIGging used to work.

Thanks for the answers, guys.
The tank in the pictures looks great.
(By the way Mark, I am living in Holland)

Filling an ally tank with Argon before welding is necessary step if you want a good weld anyway, regardless of the benefits of reducing the chance of you blowing yourself up.

When your welding thin material the backside of the metal your welding is going to get hot enough to react with the air so standard procedure is to flood this area with an inert gas first to avoid compromising your weld.

email (option): bsa@wooky.plus.com